New research suggests that the health of Indigenous women recovering from the trauma of partner violence improves when the healing process integrates elder-led circles and other cultural elements.

The study from the University of British Columbia and Western University focused on nurses working with women individually over the course of six to eight months.

Their treatment included weekly circles or group activities led by an elder, which involved sharing personal stories and aspects of Indigenous culture through ceremonies, cultural teachings and traditional crafts.

Colleen Varcoe, a professor of nursing at UBC, says at the end of the program, the women reported significantly fewer symptoms of trauma and depression and a better quality of life compared with how they felt in the beginning.